


Hangovers

by TheArtOfBlossoming



Series: Vincent, Redefined [8]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 76
Genre: Allies, F/M, Raiders, Vault 76, Vaultdweller, Wastelanders - Freeform, settlers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:59:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23981956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtOfBlossoming/pseuds/TheArtOfBlossoming
Summary: Partied too hard, slept in late, got stuck nursing a broken heart. Vault 76 opened months ago and Ricky Gee can't hide from the past anymore. Time to burn asphalt and get outta Vaultsville!Why did he change his name and will he bump into his old flame?One greaser's grind through Appalachia.
Relationships: Vault Dweller and Ally (Fallout 76)
Series: Vincent, Redefined [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/566194
Comments: 19
Kudos: 7





	1. Holotape 1 - Outta Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introductions, Oversleeping and Orientation.
> 
> As this is written in first person, let me describe Ricky Gee for you. He's a handsome, caucasian, bearded greaser with a deep auburn sheen to his dark hair, which is always in a well-kept pompadour. He has smiling eyes and a natural good-natured smirk. He's of medium height and build, not overly strong but fairly athletic. When he leans or sits, he's as loose and relaxed as a cat. When moving, he is usually poised and graceful...until he gets too stressed at which point he tends to get a little clumsy and awkward.

Here's the thing. I was never quite sure why they accepted me in the first place. If it had all been some twisted experiment, I mighta said it was 'cause of my family name. I spent a whole childhood runnin' from that shadow, so when the admin folks said I could just shorten it to Gee, well gee, I said, yessiree. 

On the paperwork, under 'S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Skillset, says 'Grade C, positive social manipulation, entertainment and morale upkeep.' Some say I'm a bit of a charmer, I can play most anything with strings on and dangit, if I'm just a generally cheery guy!

However I ended up there, quick as I was to get my foot in the door, I had to drag myself out. You mighta guessed it was all because of a girl.

Her name was - hell, IS, still, I hope - Enid. Sweet and clever and cute as Perfect Pie with those two bouncy pigtails. We met inside the Vault of course, she grew up there, I…well, I'm not quite as young as I look but not that much older than her. No, I ain't gonna tell you, so don't ask.

Anyway, in that last year we finally hooked up. It only lasted a couple of months. She waited until the Reclamation Day party to tell me, after all that time, she'd finally figured out 'boys weren't really her flavor' and wished me luck out there. 

I got so drunk that night, I totally overslept. By the time I came to, the Handies were stuck in their final subroutine, looked like everyone was gone and the whole place was due to shut down tight as a nut on a T-45. 

Someone must've slipped a downer or ten in my booze. Probably Morris the morose, he was always on my back about being happy as Cappy. I woke up with a brain quake and a belly so empty it was a vacuum. Well, I thought I wasn't gonna make it out before that great cog rolled shut for good, then I noticed the date. It was two days *after* the Reclamation date. I double checked. Triple checked. Then I checked the computer. The program had glitched, it never quite got to the bit where the air and water got switched off, so….I stayed.

I stayed in that empty hole and wallowed for *months*. Man, I got stuck, just like that program. In there, I had food, water, shelter…my guitar. I had no chance of runnin' across anyone I didn't wanna see. Even if the nuclear mushroom had got 'em, I was taking no chances.

It was April when it all changed. My head got clear, I truly let Enid go and realised I was rottin' away in that fancy hole. I got my mojo back, like BAM! Maybe it took that long for those chems to leave my system or my fear to fade or my heart to heal, I don't know.

What I do know is Ricky Gee is ready to rock 'n' roll again, so come on country roads, take me home.

* * *

Well, it's been a few fun-filled weeks…and by 'fun' I mean famine, fear and freaking out. I'm not exactly the type of guy to keep a journal but since it was part of our Vault training and on account of the fact that other folks' holotapes have led me to stuff that has kept me goin', I figured I should try. Ain't gonna be a regular occurance though. Blank holos that haven't been corrupted are hard enough to find.

So, let me catch you up. First thing I did was meet these two ladies just outside 76. They weren't from in there. Seems most of the survivors of Appalachia didn't last too long, on account of this weird plague that turns you into somethin' lookin' like they just survived a fortune-teller's shop explosion; crystals stickin' out everywhere. They shoot at you and talk garbage but they ain't who they were no longer. Freaky.

Everything is still irradiated. Thanks to the work of emergency crews calling themselves 'Responders', well, what they left behind anyway, I learned fast how to boil every drop before drinking and make a decent steak out of a two-headed cow. Found a few recipes for makin' these mutant meat 'n' veg edible.

Picked up on the Overseer's trail, that wily dame. Man, she's got guts, she's right on the stick! Before I caught up with the ol' girl I met a new one. Duchess, she calls herself. I think Enid would hit it off with her…. Anyway, Duchess runs a bar but her heavies had gone missin'. I made a deal, dashed through freaksville mine and restored her assets. So now I get a discount on drinks and scored some treasure. No, I ain't tellin' where it is. Trust me, you'd only be dissappointed.

Anyhow, finally met up with Ms. O in her spanky new house. She wondered what had taken me so long and told me to get an alarm clock. I said "Yes, Ma'am." She wants me to do somethin' but said I ain't experienced enough yet. I suppose this messed up version of the place I call home has a few surprises in store. Like, giant naked molerats, rad-storms, guys that look like wrestlers with green skin and fuckin' giant lizards that look like a goat mated with a dinosaur. They call 'em Deathclaws an' I just survived meetin' one a coupla days ago. Overseer's right. I ain't ready.

Still, found myself a cherry spot on a hill, safe enough and near good scav sites, to set up my C.A.M.P. I've managed to build me a homestead. I was gutted I couldn't bring my gee-tar. We were warned that we couldn't loot the Vault as we left, on pain of death-by-Handies. So, the first stringed thing I see (a banjo) I try to play, only to be shot at by a guy I barely recognise. Bet he was in lock-down. Come to think of it, might've been Morris. I ran. Shit, if I see that bastard again, he's gettin' perforated.

So after runnin' around all over, pickin' up more junk than a garbage collector- oh, and a half-decent greaser jacket 'n' jeans to cover up the squaresuit, I found plans to make a guitar, steel guitar, banjo, double bass and even a snare drum! The big-O might not see these as necessary for survival but when you're a cool cat who needs regular strum-time to maintain chill, they sure as hell are. 

Got me a pretty sweet setup now. Workbenches, kitchen, vending machines for the occassional visitor, a copper mining machine, crops, even my own private bar. Home sweet home. Some use the C.A.M.P. as a moveable glorified tent. Me, I need to put roots down. Don't mind travellin' for days if I know I have an established home to get back to. Be nice to share it with someone, one day.

Oh and yeah, I'm a fully qualified Responder, now. A Firebreather, even. Funny, considerin' how I'm not too keen on fire. Met a coupla gals and a sad old man on the way, though. Nice to know there's still folks survivin' out here. One of the girls even had a doggo. I have room at my place for a girl and a pooch. That'd be sweet. Dammit, I miss Enid.


	2. Holotape 2: Old Man on the Back Porch

Made a right fool of myself today but it still turned out good. Lucky Ricky, that's me. Not the part where I fell in an underground river, nor the resulting gut parasites. Mite embarrased o' creatin' that partcular memory for my new settler friends and I think the few who saw are the types least likely to see the funny side.

Anyhow, after a few failed attempts at jumpin' back up onto the gantry, I swam over to the opposite bank and hauled my wet, irradiated ass outta there. Took five to wring out my jacket and roll a Dice (that's 'take DIsease CurE' to you squares - like, which disease is it gonna cure this time? I just try to keep the choices down to one) so, as I look up, I see this old guy on a bench, right in front of me. We got to jawin' and the old coot kinda grew on me. He was lookin' for a new place to stay, temporary-like. So yeah, now I got an old man on the back porch. That Gramps, man he's a hoot. Not like the only grandfather I ever had. He was a son-of-a… Nevermind that. 

Anyhoo, a lovely lady at Foundation said somethin' about gathering a family round me. Well, I got the old lady (Overseer prob'ly wouldn't take kindly to that; note to self, don't call her 'Old Lady to her face), now I got me an old man. Looks like the older generation are the family foundation, heh!

Seriously now. All those good, tough folk who travelled so far to end up here…. I hope the Overseer has a brilliant plan to innoculate so many, soon as poss. I'd hate to see 'em go down. Not sure as I can say the same for the Raiders, the selfish psychos. Still, people can change. Maybe not for the better in their case, though, unless there's one or two just down on their luck an' hangin' with the wrong crowd. For those idiots then, s'pose I'd best talk to Rose again. 

***  
I can't help but like that Miss Nanny punk. Even though she's an utter jerk. Had me fightin' for my life against this massive, glowin' Yogi. Then she sent me on this twisted treasure-hunt an' I nearly got *my* treasure twisted of by a dang Deathclaw! Not to mention the hordes o' crystal zombies.

Long and the short of it is, I got a pass into Raidersville. Pretty crazy pad, built up around that old crashed space-station. I don't know if the gas mask was enough of a disguise but I'm not about to show my face to the psychos.

One serendipity: I've bumped into Miss C. from the Vault a few times. She helped me wipe out a bunch of radscorps (damn and I hated scorpions when they were regular-sized!) which attacked at a workshop I found. It was a good pit-stop but we didn't stay. Wiped out a few muties, too. Oh..and the raiders have a greenskin in their camp called Gail. Nothin' womanly about that creature. S'pose she…it..must have been human once. 

Cee is a bit of a lone wanderer, like yours truly but now and then it don't hurt to team up for a bit in this crazy world. She told me she'd hooked up with Jolene, that tough-ass grease monkey from 76. If the three of us could get together, heck, we could take on one o' those oversized plague bat things. I'm beginnin' to wish I had a suit of cherry, T-60 that I could use. Got a frame an' some bits, I just ain't figured out the how of it yet. Gimme time.

So I'm back at the ol..I mean, Overseer's pad. She had a great idea. Got the innoculation formula, just need a delivery system. Well, not far from my C.A.M.P., happens there's a big ol' Nuka Cola factory. Get that cleared and fired up, start producin' a new flavor, nobody gets Scorched no more. We got us a plan, man! 

I did grumble about approachin' the raider gangs but the big O pointed out that if we're gonna fight them, best they not be those hive-minded freaks an' their pet bats. So I'll play along with Rose for a while. I need to get more combat practice in, clear out a few more workshops, look for places where settlers are grouped. One lot decided to call this toilet block home, no idea why, though it did have a flavor of cola I never tried before. Cranberry! Well it razzed my berries, I'll be lookin' out for that one again.

Might pay a visit to that big ol' fancy hotel I spotted. Oh, and look for more towers to get a better lay of the land. Gramps has word of another weapons cache but after last time, I ain't riskin' my neck on that one just yet. Though a new combat rifle would be sweet as cherry pie.

For right now though, I'm gonna put my feet up and crack a beer. Then get a decent amount of shuteye. 'Night, cats.

***  
Bit o' room in this holotape yet… well, have I been wearin' out shoeleather, man! Down in the Ash Heap, over to the edge of the mire, up Savage Divide and Toxic Valley. Glad I found me a survival tent bundle. It's pretty wore out now, 'specially after roughin' it in Ashville. Might only last a month if I keep usin' it this much. 

So, startin' close to home sweet home, the big O and me, we cracked the giant bottlecap off the Nuka factory. Mostly feral ghouls, coupla rats and one scary-ass glowin' thing made o' limbs an' claws. Yes ma'am, we got us a Wendigo. I thought they were just campfire tales, man. Now I ain't no candy-ass but that thing gave me the heebiejeebies. Played chase then peekaboo with it round a beam and finally put that thing down. Lost count o' how many stimpacks I stuck in me. Why do those things always leave a little red dot after healin' everything else? I look like I got a rash under this blue banana skin   
*What're you on about, son?* (Vault-suit, get hip, Grandpa. I'm recordin'!) *Oh, well, don't mind me. Carry on*. 

Right. Well, the Overseer and I made a new flavor of Nuka Cola. Ricky flavor! Ha, seriously, it has my blood in it! Or somethin' like. 'Cause I got inoculated already, so my blood had the…well, like, the schematics for the inoculation. So we made a couple crates of Nuka Vaccinated. I gave the first lot to Paige at Foundation, then kinda reluctantly traipsed up to Meg at Crater, now Rose has persuaded her not to shoot me on sight.

So then…dangit, five percent left. Okay, fought a bunch o' Moleminers an' robots these creepy brains in jars on tracks, cheated my way into Garrahan's then built a full suit o' that Excavator Power Armor. I'm like a walking bulldoz.. *click. [Holotape capacity reached].*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am loving these NPCs. Having discovered the games through Fallout 4, 76 now feels more familiar. Aside from the design, music and storytelling, the roleplay is what keeps me coming back. Not that I don't enjoy a successful videogame fight (honestly, I'd get nowhere fast without V.A.T.S.) but the creature conflict is just like a lock to unpick to get at the real treasure of this game: its many stories. The Forager is fun to have around in my camp, for now.  
> I'm trying out Fallout 1st but just for a month (it was a birthday present). The tent is very handy though!


	3. Holotape 3: Thankyou, Mr. Sandman

It's been a while. Told you, I'm not a regular journal writing kind of guy. This crazy world keeps you on your toes.

Alright, so where was I? Oh yeah. I got that suit of Excavator Power Armor. Not many full fusion cores for it yet but I'm sittin' right next to a power plant where I could manufacture them, *if* I had enough nuke-juice to run a giant genny. Now I know how, that is. It pays to pick up scrappy folders and junk! Come to think of it, I traded caps for that plan with a station bot. Picked up my very own Protectron, too. All he does is collect junk and exterminate vermin in my C.A.M.P. but he's a hoot. We call him Colonel Custard, on account of the faded yellow colour he started off as. For some reason the pod is set on random respray, so every now and then he gets a new coat o' paint. As long as he finds the oil for it, I don't much care.

I've built a guesthouse. Gramps complained about 'going to too much trouble' but when he moves on, as he says he will, I'll just let someone else stay there. Got a nice communal firepit now, crops growin' good, bar lookin' sweet. If I could find someone to run it, might get a few settler patrons from time to time. There's usually someone by, who I'm payin' with purified water and pick of the crop as my foundation keeps sinkin'. Some say it's just molerats, I really hope it ain't radscorps. So if you swing by and see a settler under the house, diggin' away, they're just shovin' more concrete in the post- hole for me.  
*inaudible speech, laughter*  
(No, that ain't no euphemism. Cut the gas, Gramps!)

***  
Did some more of Rose's crazy requests. I think she's tryin' to turn *me* into a Raider. Got me makin' explosive bait, which I then then dropped at the sound of critters, only for them to turn out to be radstags; then I lose the bait in the bushes. Worked out eventually though. Next up stupid mission: say hi to a Deathclaw. Yeah, I poked it and ran away. No sense losin' ammo or blood on a dare. Not cool Rose, not cool.

So now she needs these key fragments. Sheesh, does this crazy cueball chick ever give up? Overseer thinks it might be important so I'll do it. Not yet though. Got other priorities. 

The ol…I mean, the Big O and I went off to Vault-Tec University to break into the restricted section. You are now looking at…well, listening to… a fully qualified Vault-Tec Overseer. I needed to pass their stupid test to get access but I'm never overseein' any damn Vault. Spent two thirds o' my life in one o' those coolers and now I'm out, I don't never wanna go back.   
*Double negative, Ricky boy. You're saying you do want in! Heh!*   
(Want I should call you teacher now, Gramps?) I will - never - oversee any damn Vault. (Better?) *I'm not your tutor, boy, whatcha asking me for?*

*Sigh* I was only there 'cause of…nevermind. Gettin' off track. So we got into the secret bit. Turns out that the treasure I thought I'd found wasn't it at all. It's in another Vault. Not just nuggets, I'm talkin' bread. Like, a whole bakery, you dig?

Trouble is, this thing is sealed tighter than a soc's brownie hole.   
*There you go again, Gee, speak English, not Greaser!* (A socialite's butt-hole, Gramps.) *Oh, now I get it! Ho hoh! I used to know a few types like that. All those cigars, champagne and fake smiles.* (Exactly. Got a holo runnin' here old man…) *Whoop! I did it again, didn't I?*

Yeah. Anyway, between the Overseer, Paige at Foundation and me, we got a plan to get into it. We're talkin' one big drill, some stealth-tech thanks to Jen - nice kid, long story - and an assist from some army guys holed up in the Mire.

The Mire. That place sucks. First I find out Wendigos exist, now I can say Mothman does too, for real. I was pokin' around a creepy cabin, hopin' to find Stimpaks or someth'n'. First thing I knew, heard a sound like a choked exhaust, puff o' black smoke and then these huge flappin' wings in my face and a screech like a banshee. Damn thing ran me down the hill and before I knew it, these psycho cultists came outta nowhere, with Mothman vanishing and reappearin' like a bad magic show nightmare. I got a few shots off but it was wasted ammo so I just beat it, ran 'til I lost 'em, or they gave up chasin'. Rattled my cage, man. I hate moths.

***  
Told the Overseer today that we're not ready. I'm not ready. If we're gonna do this thing right, I need to get better gear. She agreed to just a few days delay, enough to scav up some scrap an' ammo, maybe plans for a better rifle or a tougher shell.  
*You mean armor? Heh, I get it, I'm all hips, son.* (*chuckle* It's 'I'm hip', Gramps. Keep at it. You crack me up, old man!)

***  
I heard that distress call again today, only clearer so my PIP-Boy actually clicked the co-ords. Took me East, right into the Mire. Again.

I found her in a bunker, badly injured and real disoriented. A fallen star… Commander Sofia DaGuerre. She'd literally fallen outta the sky, man. An astronaut from before the war! They'd frozen her like a popsicle and - heh - like me, she'd overslept. Not by a couple o' days but by about a quarter of a century! She's, like, twenty two years older than me but looks ten years younger. Sweet doll, too. I mean, crazy clever, bein' an astronaut an' all, pretty fit too. And cute, all big brown eyes and full lips…

She'd got separated from her crew. I couldn't just leave her there, so I stimpacked her back onto her feet and went of to find bits of tech-stuff to help her find her crew. In the process, I happened on more ammo and supplies. If she needs anythin' else, I could kill two bloatflies with one stone on the scavvin' front. The console in the bunker was trashed, so I said she could crash at my pad and I'd build her a new one there.

Welp, she's here an' I just turned on the radio. 'Mr. Sandman' is playing. I think he just brought *me* a dream.


	4. Holotape 4: Dogged Tags

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A note about style. It is hard to convey listening to a holotape and the quality of sound or how far away the speaker is, so words with brackets are the main speaker turning their face away. Words between asterisks are another speaker at a short distance away.
> 
> Ricky begins to help Sofia to unravel the mystery behind her crashlanding and the awful headaches that cryostasis left her with.

I'm sat in the guest house. Coulda thought of this when Gramps was here. I kinda miss the old coot but when Sofia turned up, he just packed up and vanished quietly. Left me a deck of smokes, a whiskey an' a little note that just said 'Don't let anyone sit in my chair, Ricky boy. Just do right by the lady.' So, I stashed the rocker away and used the note to light a G.T.

Man, I gotta smoke less.

Anyway, Sofia's still gettin' these nasty headaches after defrostin' too sudden like. She's got her feet up tryin' to catch some zee's but I know she's got an ear on that console. Caught a signal earlier headed this way. Someone's payin' a housecall, could be any time. She seems confident no-one's gonna snatch whatever is givin' us a bell an turn up all unwelcome-like; might be one of her ship's robots like the one I just chased down - she…it…this robot…was no Polly. 'Pandora' accepted the code and was non-hostile, so I'm gonna have to trust that if she or any of her Pal-uminums turn up that my turrets can handle any trouble. Yeah. Better get that shotgun turret finished.

*Hey, Mr. Gee? I brought you a coffee.*

(Thanks, dol..um..Commander. Thought you were sleepin' on the couch?)

*Well, that mission didn't work as planned. Thought I'd try an actual bed for an hour or... ow!*

(Bongos in the brainpan again?)

*More like…oh!…being zapped by lightning.*  
(Here, I gotta spare stimpack. Lemme..hang on, here it is.)

*Thanks.*

(I'll just go in the house an' tinker. If the console starts beepin' or flashin', I'll come get ya.)

*Thanks, Mr. Gee.*

(Ricky. Just Ricky's fine. Sleep tight, ma'am.)  
*Roger that. Over and out.*  
***

It's not good news. I found the wreckage. It was swarming with Mole Miners, damn things.

The pod was…well, crispy. Pretty much just ashes left inside. I found dog tags, though. I'm not sure how I'm gonna break it to her. She was so hopeful, suggested I make bunk beds an' all.  
*sigh*  
*click*

***  
[Background radio plays 'Ring of Fire']

Swell. How does this radio station always know? Well, she took it pretty good, considerin'. Even talked a bit about them, after a while. Overseer always said I was a good listener. May have used that skill o' mine a few times back in the Vault to solve the odd dispute here an' there. No-one forcin' me to listen this time. She's got no-one left. Hold up, scratch that. She's got me.

***  
Turns out that last entry had a falsehood. This Emerson guy, the one she used to date? Well, he turned up, here! **He** was the signal comin' toward us.

She didn't recognise him at first, bein' some twenty-five years older. I swear I'd locked the door but he was in my house when I got back, looks like he arrived just before I did. Anyway, the Commander realised who he was an' was bein' such a sweet kitten but this Dr. Emerson Hale? He was all up in her face, like, apple butter an' smiles. Got my hackles raised right up but I had to bite my tongue. There is somethin' off about him, I swear. Oh, he gave her this 'emergence kit' to help with the headaches and it has helped a bit. Poor doll. These headaches are a real pooper.

What is really givin' me the gringles is the way he keeps tryin' to steer Sofia away from talkin' about the past. Especially when we told him about her crew bein' gone for good. Like *he* doesn't wanna go there. I may not have done too good on my Intelligence score when I did my G.O.A.T. test at 16 - OK, biddy-bit below average, I ain't no genius - but I'm Perceptive. Pick up on details others seem to miss. It's what got me in the Vault in the first place…

So yeah. I'm gonna be watchin' this Emerson like a hawk. He said he's camped out at some army base. Military robots havin' their signals interfered with, headed straight for us then goin' off on tangents…military base…ex-boyfriend. I'm beginnin' to see a pattern here.

***  
So I cleared another bunch o' tin bowling balls and an assaultron. This is gettin' old. These 'bots, they're always achin' for a breakin'. The Colonel Gusty's I can handle. Fartin' flame, talkin' tough but pocket the threeballs an' they can't see to be handy no more.

It's the redeyed papershakers I worry about. Fast, just nasty up close an' that gazerbeam…. shit. Least you can hear 'em powerin' up. They make you eat stimpaks for breakfast. Hit me right in the duckass an' my vision went fuzzy; thought I was gonna see a 'Please Stand By' for a sec there. Stims fix bone an' tissue but they don't fix scorched hair. Damn. Gonna be a few weeks 'fore that looks right again, no matter how much pompade I use.

Those 'bots are tagged, I swear. Someone's flippin' their switches and I plan on doggin' their steps until I find out who. With the Commander keeping an eye on the console, every signal we trace brings us closer to the truth. Hopefully we'll get to the root of these nasty brainquakes o' hers.

***  
We got another lead. I keep thinkin', what would the Silver Shroud do?

*Did I just hear mention of the Silver Shroud? I love The Unstoppables! Oh, sorry Mr…. I mean, Ricky. I didn't realise you were busy.*  
(No, it's cool. Want I should leave? Need to catch some zees?)  
*Thanks but I'm not tired right now. Just needed a break, stretch my legs! And maybe….some company?*  
(Sure thing. Hey, lets grab a bite an' a beer, sit by the campfire awhile.)  
*I'll get the beers.*

[background noises, scuffles, collectron muffled speech]

*Here you go.*  
*Cheers!*  
(Cheers!…..So, you like the Unstoppables, huh?)  
*Oh, you noticed, huh?*  
(I was kinda hopin' that crate I went after had your entire collection, too. The few copies I had got left behind in 76. Couldn't carry much out beside my pack and my C.A.M.P. device. Even had to leave my strings behind.)  
*You play?*  
(Yeah. Can pick out a tune on most anythin'. Can't read a note, written down never made sense to me but if I hear it, I can play it. Always preferred things with strings, though.)  
*Can..would you..um…*  
(Yeah, sure, after we've eaten.)  
…  
(So, which is your favourite Unst..)  
[BEEP BEEP]  
*What's that?*  
(Oh, Holotape's nearly full. Forgot it was on.)  
*Are you recording all this? Why are you recording it!*  
(Hey, don't get spooked! You can listen to everythin', I got nothin' to hide. Just…I found a bunch o' blank holos an' seein' as others' have left these behind all over and been real useful, I figured I'd try do the same. Maybe help someone else sometime.)  
*…*  
(Look, I'll run 'em all by you an' we can delete bits if you're not happy. Otherwise I'll keep them on me, 'til I can a good strong safe, OK?)  
*Or just hide them in the redundant SPN - C1 slot in the console?*  
(What, that hole by the..under that..)  
*Yeah, there.*  
(You got illuminations, doll. Um..is it OK to call you doll?)  
*Usually, back in training, I'd give guys a slap for that.*  
(…)  
*Coming from you, though, it's hep.*  
(Thanks…doll.)  
[click]


	5. Signals from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery begins to unfold and Ricky and Sofia learn more about each other.

*So, is this on now?*  
(Yeah, just speak closer to the mic here.)  
Like this?  
(Perfect.)  
Okay. So.. uh..I guess, ex-astronaut Commander Sofia DaGuerre here. I was on a mission to test the feasibility of cryo-stasis in extraterrestrial manouvres. We launched in 2070, with a view to returning between five to ten years later.

*sigh*

It's been thirty.. two..years. I slept right through the great war, just... floating up there in space. Out of the four crewmembers, I..I…  
(I can't even say their names)   
*It's alright, go on.*

….I'm the only survivor. 

*It's cool, take your time.*

Okay. Well…The escape pod crashed in Appalachia, West Virginia, as did the…the capsule. It is as yet unclear why I was the only crewmember to be in the escape pod. I was badly injured in the crash and just managed to crawl away from the wreckage to a nearby bunker. I was able to send a distress signal out which was intercepted by a recently emerged Vault Dweller by the name of…

(should I say your name?)

*ahh..yeah, go on.*

…by the name of Ricky Gee. He provided emergency medical attention and retrieved important data from the crash site. I am **so** fortunate to have been rescued by this individual, as the world I returned to is…just so…it's Grodyville, man. I mean, it's a nuclear wasteland. May as well be on another planet…but this guy, this ex-Vault Dweller, he took me in, asking nothing in return. He rigged up a new console out of salvaged parts and he's helping me trace the information back to its source because I get these….these intense, spike headaches. This is more than just emergence dyshomeostasis. I've noticed a pattern.

There are several robots in the area receiving a signal and pinging my console. Pandora, our ship's robot, survived the crash and we managed to track her down and deactivate her threat mode. She had an inbuilt directive to return to the nearest military base, which she did so peacefully. The next time Mr. Gee followed our rogue signal, he encountered Pandora again only this time she'd been reprogrammed to be hostile.

Information has come to light that one other person involved in the project has survived, groundside. Dr. Emerson Hale. He traced the ping we sent out and came to us. It was…good to see a familiar face but strange, also. He must be in his late fifties now. I knew him…seems like moments ago…as a young man.

(Have we got room for more?)

*Plenty. See that indicator there?*

(Oh yeah. Wish we'd had PIP-boys in space.)

*Why didn't ya?*

(Something about the 'vacuum incompatibility issue'.)

*No Vaults on the moon, then?*

(Haha! You never know. Hey, have you seen the flag brought back by the Valient 12 in D.C.'s Museum of Technology? I saw it when I was ten!)

*Never been to D.C. We're still recordin' by the by.*

Okay, so my friend Ricky managed to track down one of the Deep Sleep holotapes. I liked whale song in training, made me chill, it helped prepare me for the quietness of space, so I was told. However, we both heard something **beside** the whalesong in this particular holo. It was…unsettling. He's just returned from a mission to get the sleep pod schematics so we can pick this mystery apart. Oh…he's catching zees on the couch now. That man has done more for me since he found me than Em..than anyone ever has. I'll find a way to help him out.   
[Click]

***  
[Click]  
…that in the Stash, thankyou ma'am.

*Enough with the ma'am! You can call me Sofia. I think we know each other well enough for that, at least.*

You intrigue me. Care to share a bit more about your life before…?

*Well, I lived in Chicago, went to [fzzztt] in D.C. I had my own little place [fzzzzttt] pet turtle! [fzzzzzzztttttt) That _was_ a long-term relationship! Oh and the Mistress of Mystery, she's my favorite. Wanted to work for her as a kid, ended up being an astronaut instead. How about you? Tell me about yourself?*

Want the long story or the short one?

*Oh, the long one. You've listened to me rattle on so long sometimes I thought you were going to cut in with 'Meanwhile, back at the barn..' Your turn, Daddy-o.*

Hehe. Alrighty then. *breathing…..* I ain't told the long story to anyone an ain't no one knows the jist but the Overseer. Be good to get it off my chest, I guess.

So, most of the folk that saw the sun on Reclamation Day - the day 76 finally opened - they went in as young adults. There's a few were born there, emerged as adults. My…uh…my ex, Enid, she was just two when her Dad was selected. I was the only kid without parents in the whole Vault. 

I was born in New York, moved up to Boston when I was seven, saw my first baseball game with the Red Sox. 

*Hmm. Sounds like a nice childhood.*

Not when your Grandpappy is a mob leader, it ain't. 

*oh*

My Dad was part of the gang; got killed, that's why we moved. Ma was a trophy wife, a knockout with a real mean streak. That woman never wanted to be a parent. See…my birth name was Riqui Giancola. 

*Like, as in, Cidro 'The Cigar' Giancola?*

Yeah. Spanish mom, Italian mob dad, piece o' work Grandfather. He had me drivin' by the time I was ten, an' shootin', too. Groomin' me to take my Dad's place at his side.

So I was drivin' getaway on a job - no-one suspects a kid - an' I just needed to pee. So I got out, down the nearest alley and that's when I saw somethin' through a basement window I wish I could erase…it was… horrible. So bad I knew, even as an eleven year old kid, that I had to be a fink to my own blood. I pounded the pavement to the nearest Hothouse. 

*Police station?*

Yeah. 

After a few hours, this slim-jim gumshoe walks in the room, sits down eye to eye with me, introduces himself and asks me if I wanna be his partner for the day. I say 'Sure!' an' he pops his fedora on my head. At the end of the day, I'd run out of beans to spill. They had a list of charges as long as your arm, names of guys that'd visit with Grandpappy like Skinny Malone and Eddie Winter.

*I know those names from the newspapers. Last I read, they'd both vanished.*

Let's hope for good. Anyway, so this detective stuck around for a few days, gave me this paper to do - I hated it. Thought they were gonna make me live at school! He made sure I was bein' looked after, though. Then one day, me, him an' this female cop took the express all the way here to Appalachia. I met the big O - Overseer. She never did tell us her name. She brought me to 76. Told me I was protected. Gave me the best Vault-Tec education, scrubbed years of abuse and trauma away and set me up with one big, happy new family.

*So who raised you? A whole Vault?*

I spent a week with the boss lady, then rotated between three couples. Everyone had work to do and they hadn't counted on gettin' a spanner in the works, so I'd spend a few weeks here, a few there. Jonny and Cindy were the ginchiest cats. Jonny taught me how to be cool, Cindy taught me guitar. There were other fosterers too, science-types mostly. 

Lookin' back I count my lucky stars. If you'd uncovered as much dirt as I have on Vault-Tec, since poppin' out, you'd understand. 76 was a control vault. The others were all experiments. They'd do stuff without gettin' consent. I would not be surprised if Vault-Tec were tangled up in your mess too. 

*So, that detective could have made a massive mistake if he'd have sent you to the wrong one!*

Nah. I figured he knew. I remember those sharp, amber-brown eyes o' his. Like they saw everythin'. He knew, else he'd have put me in a Vault near Boston. 

*Do you still remember this detective's name?*

Yeah. Yeah I do.

It was Valentine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It had to be him!
> 
> Nick Valentine, from Fallout 4 was a detective who had engaged in a so called therapy session after personal trauma, thus preserving his personality to re-emerge some 200 years later in Fallout 4. Because 76 is in essence a prequel to the whole series, it made sense to link back to a pre-war character.
> 
> The mob-boss' name is closely based on a real figure from New York.
> 
> Ricky Gee's name, though altered slightly in the story, is my nod to Rick Grimes of the Walking Dead, a fellow Brit. (Yes, I am doing my best to spell in American English. Pointers welcome!)


	6. Holotape 6: Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Overseer makes a housecall, an old acquaintance turns up and the past makes a cameo.

[Console/Insert Holotape/Record]

"Well, here we go. Personal journal of Sofia DaGuerre. I've stopped keeping track of time. It's bad enough that these headaches can make me lose hours but the fact is, every time I dwell on what year it is, it just makes my head spin. So. I'm going to focus on the fact that it is just, simply, **now**. Well, late morning. That'll…"

{Knock knock} *Gee, it's the Overseer. Are you home? {Knock knock} Ricky?*

{Footsteps leading away}

*Hello ma'am? This is Mr. Gee's home. He's not here right now. Can I help you?*

*Who are you?*

*Commander DaGuerre. Mr. Gee recently came to my aid. Um..would you like to come in, ma'am? He's due back by this evening, latest.* 

*Why, thankyou, Commander. Here, let me pull up my I.D. on my PIP-boy so you _know_ who you're letting in.*

*Confirmed. Welcome to…well, Mr. Gee's home.*

{Footsteps approaching}

"My, he's done a fine job with his C.A.M.P. Have you been here long?"

"No ma'am, just a few (tssssh! Ah!) Sorry. Just a few days. (Ah!) Since I crashed, I…get bad headaches. Ricky....I mean, Mr. Gee is helping me with resolving the issue."

"Well, here, dear. Have a Stimpack on me. I have business nearby so I'll call again this evening. I'll just avail myself of the water pump as I go out."

"Sure! We have some sterile empties around…here. Fill up what you need. Until later, ma'am."

"Take care, good to meet you, Commander."

[3 hours 49 minutes 11 seconds of relative silence] [system note - recycle to end]

{Door slams}

(Commander? Sofia?) {Labored breathing}

{Footsteps down stairs}

"Ricky? Oh gee…"

" …'s ma name, don't wear it…OW!"

"Are you injured? What happened?"

"Place was crawlin' with muties."

"What? Those big green men? But that Grahm guy was nice! Funny, too."

"Yeah, well, mostly they just wanna kill us humies. Aww, geez…help me get this off?"

"Let me look at it. Did you run short on Stimpaks? Looks like this needs one. Here….it's okay! Astronauts get medical training too! There. It was subluxated."

"What?"

"Your shoulder. Partially dislocated. It's back, swingin' and jiving now, right where it should be!"

"Thanks. That's better. Yeah, I ran out of Stims, near ran out of bullets, too. Here….your serum. Hey, you hear someone?"

"Oh! Your Overseer stopped by. Said she'd be back…later…I thought?"

"Emerson."

{Muffled speech}

"She deserves better."

"I swear I'm just trying to help! I diverted those robots away…Sofia! Here's another Emergence Kit."

("Thankyou. Now just leave".)

{Footsteps approaching the console.}

"Right, serum, let's see what…oh crap. This thing's been recording."

[Click]

***

[PIP-boy rec.]  
Ricky here again. So, we had visitors today. The big O dropped by to pass a message from her contacts. The tech guy is delayed. Somethin' about a medical issue. Anyways, we got more time to sort Sofia out.

I didn't tell her how close that one was. Every step on this mission o' hers gets tougher an' tougher. If I hadn't o' found that tinkers bench I'd have run outta ammo an' been munchies for the muties. I gotta find more supplies. Especially more Stimpaks. I did drag home this monster of a plasma gatler though. Not sure if I have the smarts to keep it functional but I bet she could. She's one smart cookie, that Sofia. She's sleeping off another headache right now. Man, I hate it when she sleeps. I don't get to see that kookie grin o' hers.

I have got to do right by her. Bosslady was givin' me approval-face. She's likely figured that Daguerre's skills would come in handy, maybe even help with the plan. She'd be right….but I'm more worried about what Emerson's up to. Sofia's finally seen through that bird-dog. She feels betrayed. Said she was glad I'm on her side. I didn't say as much but I'd rather be _at_ her side…like…jacketed. Goin' steady. Never know, maybe even circled, one day. I didn't realise it until I met her but that's really what I was lookin' for out here. What I used to think Enid would be. Takes a lot more'n a Stimpak to mend a broken heart but…well..I feel like mine is better'n new, thanks to Sofia. Just….gotta take it slow. 

*Hey, friend?*

(Hey, you're up. It's just about time ta eat.)

*Let me. I can make a pie, if you have some kind of meat?*

(Sure. In the icebox there. Lemme go pick a few tatos 'n' carrots.)

***

Mmm…this is good. Didn't know we had any flour?

*Oh, this trader I was chatting to told me how to grind it from razorgrain. I needed something to grind..*

{Loud spitting sound}

*…to take my frustrations out on, you gooner!*

Sorry. Yeah. That Emmet's bein' a honeybeast in your bonnet, ain't he.

*Honey… _beast?!_ *

Rads.

*Oh. Yes. Can we change the subject, please?*

Sure thing. Hey, can I tell you somethin' that…well..it might seem a bit Crazyville.

*Sure. I'm starting to learn not to be surprised by weirdness anymore.*

Really. This is kinda out there…an' you never get used to the weird new sh..uh, crap. Alright. A few times now, I've been in a tight spot, surrounded by party poopers - like, ghouls or scorched or muties - an' this figure in a fedora an' trenchcoat pops outta nowhere, loads lead into the crazies an' just vanishes.

*Someone's following you?*

No, nothin' like that. I mean like, this mysterious stranger, he **literally** appears from nowhere an' then, like wow, just fades before my eyes! 

*Like a ghost?*

The bullets are real. I gotta feelin'… I tried to see the guy's face but he always fades. I reckon it's him. Valentine.

*The Gumshoe Ghost. You gave me chills.*

I'm bein' straight an' true here. Not seein' things. I don't take near enough chems to see shit. You believe me, don'tcha?

*Woah. I do, Ricky. I believe you.……Maybe he's still looking out for you, the kid he rescued, after all this time. Even after…*

After the world got mightily creamed? Yeah. Feels right. 

*Wow. He could be a new Unstoppable.*

Heh! Yeah. 

*You're a bit of a superhero yourself. I was thinking like Manta Man…*

I hate swimmin'!

*…but more…delightfully unpredictable.*

What would my superhero name be, then?

*hmmm….. Gee Force, no, Lucky Ricky, um…*

You discovered my nicknames but not my Superhero Identity. It's kinda backward, y'already know who I really am.

*I'd still like to know more…I don't know what I'd have done without you. I feel like I can really count on you, cool cat. You're the most earthbound guy I ever knew.*

Kinda balances us out then, don't it? I mean, not that you're unreliable…like not earthbound, well, you are now but..um…

*Haha! It's okay, hotrod, I know what you mean. I'm just…I'm really glad you're here.


	7. Holotape 7: Mottephobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, facing fears is the only way forward.

Right. So Sofia caught the next signal. Robobrain by the looks of it. Stupid, freaky bots with what's left o' some unlucky Clyde's brain in a goldfish bowl on top. Like some villain outta one of Manta Man's worst issues. Don't get me wrong, he had some o' the best storylines but he had some o' the worst ones, too. I'm more of a Silver Shroud guy myself, anyway. Grognak too, some days.

Yeah. Anyway, this bowl-head has ended up somewhere I really don't wanna go: Moth Home.

I ain't afraid o' much, not spiders nor mice, not even those ginormous nasty rad-rats… but… _moths_? Uh-uh. Gimme the heebiejeebies. Pro'ly goes back to when I was a rugrat. We went to visit Uncle some'n or other. We went right in, I ran off to play hide an' go seek.

So…I found this huge, dark closet and rushed right in. I remember the sudden smell of expensive wool suits and something…raunchy. Somethin' tickled my face as my shouted name grew louder. The closet door was yanked open, sudden-like, and this cloud o' moths exploded out from behind me, coverin' me in their wing-dust. The grown-up who had been lookin' for me just stared down at somethin' beside me. 

We'd found Uncle Joe. Must've been there a while. Moths were crawlin' around a bullet hole in his eye.…

I've seen so many dead bodies since then but that, that just gave me a fear o' moths. Mottephobia. So no, I ain't all eager-beaver to go after this bot. 'Specially since I stumbled across Mothman's pad a few days ago on my way to the army boys. He got the jump on me. Gotta face my fears, though, Sofia's countin' on me.

***  
That…whew…that went better'n I thought. Glad I took my cherry digger suit an' this new Gatling Plasma cannon I just found. Turns out, I barely needed it though. The freaky groupies were no match an' even the goldfish bowl head wasn't too taxin'. 

The creepy cryptid was there, just sat like a statue, high on his perch with his back to the whole ruckus. I wasted a good squirt o' plasma 'fore I realised he was just soakin' it up as if I was hittin' him with sunbeams. Lucky Ricky strikes again! Be luckier if I don't get one o' my moth-mares again tonight, though.

***  
Slept like a baby last night. The chug o' the copper extractor and the hum of Sofia's console jivin' a gentle lullaby. Don't think she slept, though. Chasin' signals an' runnin' from headaches.

What is it with these floatin' bubblegum heads? Another robobrain pinged, this time at a trainyard in the Bog. 

***  
Looks like we're havin' cranberry juice tonight. Took it out easy enough, snagged the holo and grabbed some junk.

I just got back, comin' up the hill now. I listened to the holo on the way.

Sofia's gonna be pissed.  
***  
[clunk]  
*..y watch it, Gee! Sit down before you fall down. Are you okay?*

Lemme eyeball the PIP. Well crap…it's the flap.

*The what?*

Flap-limb. No wonder I'm wobbly as jelly. Just reach in that pocket, would ya? Grab me a dice?

*Sure. Heh, you call them dice too? Roll one down your throat, see which disease it cures?*

All the hep cats do, doll. Say, thanks. [swallowing noise]. 

*Here, chase it with a Cherry.*

[POP! Tssssszz]

Ahhh. Hey, which is your fave nuka flave?

*Hmm. Cherry or Orange and Dark mixed together.*

Adventurous, eh?

*Well, I did go to _space_! Better?*

Yup. Control of limbs regained.

*Copy that.*

Sofia. The holotape…

*Did you listen to it?*

I did. You ain't gonna like it. Lemme just eject… damn, record was on.  
[click]  
* * *  
Can't figure out how to edit these here holos so just bear with. So Emerson dropped by again. Guy's like a bad penny. We got him to spill the beans. They threw those three lives away because it was costin' the bigwigs too much bread. Hale knew. He knew an' he didn't do diddly squat, just left only to be made in the shade in some other company.

ATHENA… turns out to be some program, linked up to poor Sofia somehow. She was just a damn experiment to the bad-news bunch. They tricked her into consenting without even knowin' 'cause o' some slick, sneaky smallprint.

Emerson swears he's been tryin' to help, tryin' to make things right. He better. An he better leave her alone after. If I catch that old bird-dog makin' any moves on my…on Sofia…I'll feed him a knuckle sandwich. Just watch me.

[Huff]

We're gonna get this ARACHNE holotape to Athena but first I gotta get a pass card.  
***

Sofia! Got it! Went through a few ghouls and a freakin' glowin' Wendigo to grab it but I'm still in one piece and almost ready to go to Sugar Grove. 

[Kaching!]

Hold up. Someone's in the shop. Lemme grab some fresh produce, maybe get a sweeter deal.

*Sure thing, friend. I just need to fix up my suit a bit. It'll help against radiation, not a proper hazmat but better than leathers and jeans.*

Sure thing. Back in a mo, Jo.

[Door closing, wind in leaves, Collectron clanking, feet running up steps]

Hey there friend, welcome to…

Enid?

*Ricky Gee?! Hey there, Lucky! It's good to see you!*

Um…yeah…you too…

*Sorry I split like that. It was….*

Yeah. Real party pooper. Not cool, Halversen. Not cool.

*The surname? Ouch. Guess I deserve it. I just thought…like…we weren't goin' steady, Eddy, just having some fun!.….heavens to Vault-Betty…. You thought we were serious?*

Yeah. I was. Real gone serious.

*…*

Morose Morris slipped a few downers in my Nuka. Had a bad reaction, ended up wallowing in that hole for months.

*You _stayed_ in seventy six? But it was set to shut down!*

Yeah. Well either someone tampered or it was just plain broke 'cause it kept on bein' Reclamation Day for weeks. In the end, water started tastin' warm, got a mite stuffy an' the Handy's stopped cleanin' the cans. 

And I decided to get over you.

*I…I didn't realise.*

Well now you know. Are you gonna buy somethin'?

*What? Oh. Yeah, I was looking for…nevermind. I  
..I'll just leave.*

I'll do ya friends rates?

*Friends? After I was a complete party-poopin' goof? 

Ehhh, you've always been a goof, Fairtytales.   
Sometimes, somethin's better after it was broke. I've had time to think about you, Enid. Alot. In all that time, I never wanted to _not_ be your friend. Even if you did cause me heartache, doll.

I've got someone inside waitin' on me. Someone special, so get a wiggle on, kiddo.

*Thanks. Um, here. I found this armor. Doesn't fit me, maybe you could use it? I'll clear out your ammo sale too. Ooh…and a Nuka Orange! There you go.*

[chink of caps]  
Was there somethin' else?

*Jonny and Sindy…they didn't make it. I…I found their remains at a Raiders camp. I'm really sorry, Ricky.*

…  
See you later, then, alligator.

*Not for a while, crocodile. Good luck with…yeah. Goodbye, Gee.*

***  
Guess that was the flag. I gotta go for it with Sofia. Thing is…if we beat this thing an she moves on, I may as well go lock myself in a Vault again. No, no, no, Ricky, your not doin' that again. I know how I feel, all I gotta do is tell her. After we face this ATHENA, that is. If Emerson's wrong about this ARACHNE maybe creamin' her brains. If it does, I'm gonna cream his. Over an' out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enid A. Halverson was my first Fallout 76 character. She has her own, sadly unfinished as yet fic on here but I wanted to create some kind of connection between the two.


	8. Holotape 8: Landing Pad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ricky Gee, Commander Sofia Daguerre and Dr. Emerson Hale have reached Athena and resolved the issue. (I've deliberately left some gameplay details out as there are various choices you can make).
> 
> Ricky finally tells Sofia how he really feels and contemplates what that means for their future.

[Click]  
I want this on record, Bucko.

*So do I, Emerson. You betrayed me, broke my trust in you. That's something you'll have to earn back…as is our friendship…though I'm not sure that last is salvageable, to be honest.*

(Yes, well y..y..you see the fundamental societal workings of the world b..before _predisposed_ me to…)

We don't wanna hear excuses, Doc. Get over here, closer to the mic. Keep it simple.

*Is this close enough? Well then, for the record I, Doctor Emerson Hale, hereby claim original authority in the matter of the ATHENA project and release Commander Sofia DaGuerre from her contract…erm…*

'Fess up, Hale.

*(Sigh) Yes. Well. The deaths of the three crew was our - the company's - fault and moral wrongdoing. The…the legalised deceptive coercion of Commander DaGuerre which led to her extended cryostasis and subsequent regrettable bodily harm…well, b..being the only rem..ra..remaining member of the project, I take full responsibility and shall do all in my power to make…er…to make amends.*

(Might I suggest amends in the form of aid and supplies, Emerson? You know that Ricky… Overseer Responder Gee puts his _life_ on the line _daily_ to help rebuild Appalachia! The people at Foundation and the Overseer of Vault seventy-six have put their trust in him for good reason!)

It ain't just me, there's a bunch o' us seventy-sixers tryin' ta tidy up the mess folks like _you_ left behind. You help any of us, if you can, got it? Good. Most of all though, you owe Sofia, big-time. Stims, armor, weapons, supplies, an' hell yeah any holo games or copies of the Unstoppables you can possibly get your hands on, you hear? Survival ain't worth it without creativity and fun. I just want the best for her.

*As do I, sir, as do I. Listen, Sofia, I know it is next to worthless but please accept my sincere apologies…for everthing.*

(It does mean _something_ , Emerson. We realized you were trying to…assist. Right now, though…I don't want to see you. Don't ever visit without Ricky's permission…just go.)

You heard the lady. I'll send you a drop location in a day or so. Now, lay a patch.

*Wha..?*

Skidaddle!

*I'll just go, yes, right, gone!*

[Click]

***  
[Kchoonk]  
… ad that's over. 

*So you can stop clenching your fists now, hotrod.*

Yeah. Let's grab a beer, Spacekitten.

*Space kitten?*

Well it's better'n what you called me back there. On the record. For all o' posterity!

*What! What did I call you?*

Overseer Responder Gee.

*Well, those are your official titles, are they not?*

Do a Vault-Tec. Acronym it for efficiency.

*O.R….Gee…oh. Oh! Hahaha! Ahahaahaaaaheeee!*  
Laugh it up, tinfoil.

*Orgy! Hahaha!*

No thankyou, ma'am! 

*Oh...oww heh..my cheeks hurt!*

Well, I'd best kiss those better.

*…*

Sofia…. I love you.

*Is too sappy to say that you've got my head spinning? But…in a good way! I've been through so much and I finally have a fresh start. I'm just happy that you're going to be a part of that.…I love you, too, Ricky Gee.*

Um, hey. I got somethin' for you. Space kitten.

*Well I guess _that's_ going to stick.*

Yup! Heh! Hold up a sec. It's in the stash….got it. Ta da!

*Is that…a _Mistress of Mystery_ dress?!*

Sure is. Don't fit me, doll. Bet you'd look like a knockout in this.

*You, Mr. Gee, get to see me wear it…but only if we get you a Silver Shroud costume. Mmm…maybe a Grognak one, too.*

I'll work on it. Oh naw, holo's recording by itself again. 

*Oh! Don't throw it away…but…let's stop leaving blank holos in your PIP-boy, huh Daddy-O?*

[Click]  
* * *  
Ricky Gee, Personal entry. 

It's official! Sofia an' are an item. I'm changing over the sittin' room to where the bedroom is now an' extendin' it over the bar. That means you don't walk straight upstairs into the bedroom no more. Looks fancy, the big O would approve. 

We got some cherry, unopened rolls of Unstoppables wallpaper from a truck nearby that was headed to hardware city. Lucky I'm good with a bobby pin! Could be better, though. Hey, I just remembered I picked up a key to the West Bridge utility room. Gotta check that out. 

So…yeah, I took that chance an' it paid off. Sofia an' me, we make quite the team. I got a real good feelin' about us. Heh, she calls me Earthbound - that's greaser speak for reliable, case you don't know. Hotrod, too, cause I could drive when I was ten. Man, what I wouldn't give for an aquatone blue Corvega Coupe… Sofia misses her motorbike also. Man I'd love to ride shotgun with her!

Maybe one day there'll be roads you can drive on again. Or maybe that flyin' car idea'll be regurgitated by some boffin. Not in my lifetime, though. Don't know if we'll get to have kids but…if we did an' your listenin', cause I'm stashin' these in a very secure place…well, this is how it all started, after the end came. A late-emergin' vault-dweller and an astronaut, hangovers o'the past; a Foundation an' hopefully….a golden sunrise.

Real treasure ain't somethin' you can hold onto. It ain't caps nor bullets nor gold. You can only experience it, cherish it, create from it. We have each other. We have Homestead. We have a foothold in these here treacherous mountains and we're just gonna keep on climbin' 'til we leave our nightmares behind us. 

This is Ricky Gee….born Riqui Giancola…signin' off. Over …and …out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading that, cats!
> 
> I will be writing more about Ricky's adventures in a different style, though I hope you were able to 'listen' to the holotapes easily enough.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts! Have you played through Sofia's quest yourself? 
> 
> To see screenshots from my actual gameplay, on which my Fallout fics are based, go ahead and visit my Tumblr 'TheArtOfBlossoming'  
> https://theartofblossoming.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> I was there for the Beta test of 76 and fought my way, as Enid Halversen, through to almost the bitter end. Now Wastelanders is here, I'm playing through for the second time and loving the new NPCs. Ricky should be grateful he slept in; its alot less lonely out there.
> 
> He'll have a hard time measuring up to my Vincent of Fallout 4 but the lucky greaser is already warming my heart. The charmer.


End file.
